Herminium edgeworthii

Botanical Description

Herminium edgeworthii is a perennial orchid growing from a tuberous rootstock, with annual stems that can be from 30 - 70cm tall[ 1306 Title Rare and Endangered Medicinal Orchids of Asthavarga Group in Attaranchal - Habenaria intermedia (Virdhii) and Habena Publication MFP News, Vol XII, No. 4; 2002 Author Manmohan Jagatram Dobriyal Publisher Year 2002 ISBN Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. The plant is also harvested on a commercial basis and used as an ingredient of the very popular herbal formula 'Chyavanprash'. In parts of the Himalayas, including Himachal Pradesh, the harvesting of plants from the wild, including this species, for medicinal use is far in excess of the plant's ability to regenerate and many of the species are becoming rare[ 1308 Title Distribution Pattern, Survival Threats and Conservation of 'Astavarga' Orchids in Himachal Pradesh, Northwest Himala Publication Plant Archives Vol. 12 No. 1, 2012 pp. 165-168 Author Ravi Kant; Jagdeep Verma; and Kranti Thakur Publisher Year 2012 ISBN 0972-5210 Description ].